Indonesia Ups Rescue Efforts in the Wake of Deadly Volcanic Eruption

The Index Today — The Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Tuesday revealed plans to strengthen rescue operations in the aftermath of a massive volcanic eruption that left 34 dead, with 22 people still missing.
Mount Semeru in the Lumajang district of the East Java province suddenly erupted on Saturday, sparked by heavy rains that the country had been experiencing of late. As per reports from the disaster mitigation agency, thousands of people have lost their homes even as 22 remain missing.
Even as Mount Semeru erupted three more times on Tuesday, the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation in Indonesia revealed that the situation remains unstable with the possibility of more eruptions in the future.
After evaluating the disaster-hit regions and visiting the relief camps, the President promised to boost recovery efforts. "We hope that after everything has subsided, that everything can start - fixing infrastructure or even relocating those from the places we predict are too dangerous to return to,” he said.

©Photo: phys.org